False notions were aggravating piracy issue from getting resolved
While piracy attacks continue unabated the search for a resolution of this situation too continues, as is indicated by the spate of conferences dedicated to highlighting this problem. It however clearly suggests that both the industry and the government are in the doldrums over the issue.
The recent conference organized by the MaritimeForum on 9th June, 2011 last week presented a plethora of issues affecting shipping and seafaring. It was during this event that the Head of the Indian Maritime Administration, the Director General of Shipping, Dr. S. B. Agnihotri gave vent to the helplessness that was evident since the misfortune took shape. He was forthright in commenting that piracy was threatening to take on ominous dimensions.
He attacked the cynicism of the stakeholders who he said were responsible for prolonging the issue and refraining from taking this horrendous bull by the horns. Above all it was the false notion nursed about piracy being folklore that was aggravating the situation.
“It is time to critically examine and put the antidote in public domain,” he said. “The folklore doing the rounds does not focus on the root cause. What then is the root cause?” He stated that it is wrongly regarded that poverty in Somalia has been responsible for the piracy.
“Friends let us be clear that this has nothing to do with poverty in Somalia,” he explained. “In fact it has everything to do with lawlessness in Somalia. If we talk about the root cause then it is lawlessness and not poverty being the root cause. It is very dangerous folklore because it implies that unless poverty is eradicated from Somalia piracy will continue.”
Another Folklore about pirates being docile and do not harm and that they keep their word is also phony he pointed out. The recent case of torture being meted out to Indian seafarers and seven of the Indian seafarers being detained despite the ransom money having been handed over to the pirates clearly nullifies this notion.
“Yet another Folklore I find doing the rounds is that it is very costly to maintain naval vessels in Somalia waters,” Dr Agnihotri said. “If 30 countries can continue to keep their naval assets in the Gulf of Aden then cost cannot be the root cause. It is working under the command of the United Nation. Why are various countries averse to come under the U. N. command? They want to continue to have the high seas to remain under their control.”
He pointed out that the insurance companies were also not interested in having the piracy issue resolved. Over the period of three to four months the incidents of piracy has come down but the insurance companies have not reigned in their rates. Nothing is being done about identifying the 15 odd financiers operating between Somalia and other countries and finding out how the ransom money was getting routed.
In the meantime the Indian administration has made all arrangements to facilitate carrying armed guards on board. Foreign flag vessels that come into the Indian ports carrying arms need merely to declare the arms which will be kept in bond and the guards can take them back when their ship sails out.